On Demand Revolution:

Lets talk about the consumer shift of how people are watching television now and how it affects students. In the past to watch a specific show the consumer would have to be home at the airtime and maybe even have to share the TV with family members. Then shows could be taped or recorded for consumers to watch at a convenient time. But between company websites and sites like Hulu or Netflix consumers can now watch almost any show they want at any time from anywhere.

As part of the generation of instant gratification having what I want at the touch of my fingertip seems like it is essential for me to live. I’m kidding! But I would be lying if I said I haven’t come across people who do believe this.

Now being in a dorm and not having the DVR to watch shows on the nights that I have time, I really love having the shows online to watch on my laptop or IPad. I have a habit of catch up on my shows while waiting for my laundry. Being a busy student finding time to eat a real meal can sometimes be a challenge, so this luxury of being able to escape reality in a show when I need to is wonderful.

It’s never really been my style to sit still and watch a whole season in one time. My brain would flash every thing else I should be doing, causing me to turn the show off and walk away. But recently I did experience the addiction of watching two seasons of a show in a matter of three days! (This was a negative on my life.. I would opt out of doing homework to just watch one episode and find myself fighting to turn it off after multiple!)

It’s not only an escape but also more cost effective for a student on a budget. With wireless Internet almost anywhere I go I can get the entertainment I want at pretty much no cost. Subscriptions for sites like Hulu and Netflix are relatively low compared to cable. Many students who are upperclassman and don’t live on campus have told me that they don’t pay for cable, instead they watch shows and movies on the Internet. Plus its better then buying a high priced DVD that you’re only going to watch once or twice. Let’s be honest!